AJ takes early lead in Rolex 24

After starting from the front row alongside the Michael Shank Racing sister car, AJ slipped past the No. 60 to lead the first lap of his third Daytona 24 outing. AJ settled into a comfortable pace, radioing back to the team that the car was good. Under the first caution, about an hour into the race, the No. 6 Ford Riley pitted for tires, fuel, and a wicker adjustment. The dirty, damp track caught AJ out a bit when when he tried to warm up the tires before the restart and spun slightly into Turn 5.

When the field went back to green, the No. 6 was in 14th. AJ worked his way back up to 4th by the end of his stint, a little over 1 1/2 hours.

"The car is good. It's quick," said Allmendinger decked in the light blue and black colors of the No. 6. "We need to work a little on the grip, but the car is solid. The track is a different story! It's a mess from the weather and the GT cars. I think we just need to stay out of trouble and work the set-up a bit."

British teammate Ian James is currently in the carand running in 4th in hour 4.